Job Description:
Summary:
As a Principal Program Manager, you will serve as a strategic leader within the PMO, driving the successful execution of the most complex, high-impact programs across the organization. You will work cross-functionally with engineering, product management, design, and senior leadership to ensure alignment, manage risks, and drive business-critical initiatives from concept to delivery.
This role requires a deep technical background, a strategic mindset, and the ability to influence and drive alignment across multiple teams and business units. Reporting to the Head of the PMO, you will be responsible for defining and evolving best practices in program execution, scaling Agile methodologies, and mentoring other program managers within the organization.
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Responsibilities:
- Lead enterprise-wide, cross-functional initiatives that have a direct impact on business strategy and long-term success.
- Define and implement program management best practices, frameworks, and tools to enhance execution efficiency.
- Drive strategic alignment between business objectives, technology roadmaps, and operational execution.
- Provide executive-level visibility into program health, risks, and dependencies, ensuring proactive issue resolution.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, influencing decision-making with data-driven insights and strategic recommendations.
- Establish governance models and operating mechanisms to ensure seamless collaboration across teams.
- Mentor and coach other program managers, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
- Champion innovation and drive initiatives that enhance agility, scalability, and operational efficiency across the organization.
Minimum Requirements (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities):
- Expertise in Agile, Scrum, Kanban, and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) methodologies.
- Strong understanding of modern software development, including cloud computing, SaaS solutions, and DevOps practices.
- Exceptional leadership and influencing skills, with a proven ability to drive alignment among senior stakeholders.
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to synthesize complex information and make high-impact decisions.
- Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, enterprise-wide initiatives with competing priorities and tight timelines.
- Proven ability to implement and scale program management processes, tools, and best practices.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in a technology-related field; advanced degree strongly preferred.
- 15+ years of experience in program management, with a strong focus on software product development and large-scale enterprise initiatives.
- Experience leading highly complex, cross-functional teams in a global, matrixed environment.
- Proven track record of driving strategic programs that deliver measurable business value.
- Strong understanding of portfolio management, product lifecycle management, and business operations.
- Experience working closely with C-level executives and senior leadership.
- PMP, SAFe, or PgMP certification is a plus.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience driving AI/ML-driven product strategies or leading cloud transformation programs.
- Familiarity with enterprise tools such as JIRA, Confluence, and project portfolio management software.
- Background in software engineering or a deeply technical field.
Rakuten International oversees 7 businesses with over 4,000 employees globally. The brand is recognized for its leadership and innovation in e-commerce, digital content, advertising, entertainment and communications, bringing the joy of discovery and access to more than 1 billion members across the world. Our teams deliver on the company's mission to delight merchants and customers through innovation, optimism, and teamwork.
Rakuten Rewards is a leading e-commerce company that enhances the way people shop by offering Cash Back, deals and rewards from more than 3,500 merchants. Founded in 1999, Rakuten has grown to become the go-to shopping destination for consumers, having paid out nearly $2 billion in Cash Back to its 15 million members. The company also operates ShopStyle, a leading fashion discovery destination, and Cartera Commerce, a top rewards platform for airlines and banks. For more information, visit www.rakuten.com.
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Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.
Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team
Rakuten provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. Rakuten considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, provincial or local laws.
At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.
USD $156,007.50 - $291,500.00 annually